Gov. Gavin Newsom wants Americans to see him as the antithesis to President Donald Trump. So Santa Clara County officials could be forgiven for thinking he’d shield them from federal cuts to public health care. Instead, they question whether he’s effectively enabling the president’s agenda. Newsom’s January budget message tosses aside new spending proposals —...
Santa Clara County could charge for property value appeals
Santa Clara County homeowners have the power to challenge how much they pay in property taxes every year. But it could start costing hundreds of dollars to appeal. County leaders are considering charging single-family home and condo owners $290 to appeal the county assessor’s determination of their property’s value, which in turn determines the taxes homeowners pay...
Shuttered South Bay mental health program charts new course
When a longstanding program offering grief counseling and mental health support services in the South Bay lost funding and had to shut down in December, two women who served the organization for years began making their own plans. “We wanted to figure out a way to continue doing the work,” Janet Childs, who co-founded the...
VTA to bring thousands of homes online
An effort to develop housing at public transit stations in Santa Clara County has awakened after being dormant for decades — and is expected to rake in lease profits and fuel train ridership. VTA leaders next week will open the doors to their first new public transit-oriented apartment complex in 20 years, between the Willow...
Cricket stadium a no-go at Santa Clara County Fairgrounds
Silicon Valley leaders and sports big-wigs drummed up major hype around building a national cricket stadium at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds four years ago. But talks have fallen through — and there are several takes on what went wrong. County officials and Major League Cricket leaders started exclusively negotiating the lease of 12 acres...
Santa Clara County nurse navigators triage non-emergency calls
As federal funding cuts put strain on Santa Clara County resources, a nurse navigator program could help buffer some of the losses and expand access to health care. The county began a pilot program in 2024 to triage 911 calls in South County and the West Valley to a nurse call center for non-medical emergencies. Nurses...
Santa Clara County looks to consolidate independent boards
Santa Clara County leaders are asserting stronger authority over key services and public land in the region. While the proposed changes have come with explanations, they haven’t gone through without friction. The county has moved to take direct control of various agencies under independent boards over the past two years. Officials want to replace the...
Santa Clara County uses federal funds to house homeless people
Santa Clara County is using its latest round of federal funding for homelessness to rapidly house people in apartments. The county received nearly $600,000 from the Emergency Solutions Grants Program, which can be used to fund shelter operations, outreach, homelessness prevention or rapid rehousing. Over the past five years, the county has received $2.5 million in these...
Santa Clara County buys site of future health clinic
Don’t lease — buy. The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors adopted that maxim with a unanimous vote Tuesday, opting to purchase the property where the county’s new 10-story Valley Health Center campus is set to open this year on Bascom Avenue in San Jose. The health center will expand California’s second largest public hospital system with...
Wildlife corridors planned in South County’s Coyote Valley
A land preservation nonprofit and a public transit agency in Santa Clara County are creating wildlife crossings to protect animals and motorists along Coyote Valley’s busiest corridor. In response to wildlife-vehicle collisions, Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST), in partnership with VTA, is constructing underpasses for animals at key points along Highway 101, Monterey Road and...